Daily Republican., 1887-02-09
THE OHAMPIOs PC0ILIsr,
Jshn l.. Sullivan doing TO DO Re-
formed.

vSnh l.. nutuvAn GOING 70 Do Re-
formed.
A letter from Boston says: John l.
Sullivan, the champion pugilist has
been IAN exile from home" for some
time past on account of difficulty
which he had with a sporting man
named Mike Meehan about q year ago.
Sullivan made some charges against
Meehan, and when the sport resented
insinuations Of dishonesty Sullivan at
tempted TO knock him down, where
upon the other party drew q revolver.
Later, Meehan preferred charge OF
assault against Sullivan and asked that
he be put under bonds to keep the
peace, as well as being punished for
the assault. The warrant was issued,
but Sullivan left town. With all his
roughness he always had the deepest
love and veneration for his parents,
and he is now DESTROYS of coming back
and seeing the old people. He has
looked after their wants as literally as
he could, and takes the best of care of
them. Pat Sheedy, Sullivan's mana
ger, explains his protege in this way:
lie says that "he is rough diamond,
picked out of the gutter, difficult to
polish until the means for polishing
became known, when the work was
quite easy. At the outset of his career
those who prentended to manage him
surrounded him with old time fighters
and thugs who had no principle and
no respect for anything or anybody.
With this example before him Sullivan
became as tough as any Of them, but,
unlike old dinners, instead of being
patronized and treated and fesstcd by
people who like to lionize notorious
characters, he spent his own money
right and left. He earned $3.50, 900
In six years, and lett Boston 5000 in
debt.
Advice given him by Roscoe Conk-
ling and other admirers in New York
he has taken advantage of, and he is
now a thoroughly reformed and rap.
idly regenerating man. His earnings
of the past four months, apart from
what II cost him to live and what he
sent his father and mother, have gone
toward paying his debts in Boston, and
he will continue to pay what he owes
until his credit Is as good as the best
man who steps in shoe-leather. He
has become gentleman in speech,
behaviour and etiquette. and now seeks
to regain the confidence and esteem of
the people of his native city as well as
everybody outside Boston" This, in
brief, is Manager Shecdy's statement.
Arrangements are being perfected by
which Sullivan can come on to Boston
without danger of arrest, and the case
against him will be satisfactorily set
tied. 1t is not probable that he will
ever again enter an open prize-ring.
In the event of Mitchell and Smith
coming to America, and one of them
challenging Sullivan, he will insist
that both of them shall fight, but that
the contests shall be in the presence of
a few spectators and for stakes of ST.
800 or IS, 900 side. II they meet in
public it shall BIZ in hall, their con
test to be with gloves, and the stakes
and gate receipts entire 10 go to the
winner. Sullivan and Sheedy are OF
opinion that neither Mitchell or Smith
will fight, or care to fight. either in
private or public, and that they are TO
come to America to give exhibitions
and advertise themselves by making a
pretense of wanting 10 meet the cham
pion. Sullivan, LaBlanche, Carroll
and other well-known pugilists are TO
sail for Australia direct next fall, and
will stay there nearly two years before